Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-24
RAMBLEs ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt and the Holy
Land Especially for the Eagle
No. XXI.
JERUSALEM, Oct. q, 1881,

Our VISIT 10 Palestine. unfortunate Tor
rs. was ill-timed on account OF the I'M
usual heat that has prevailed in this lati-
exceedingly uncomfortable and danger
GUS to the health Of persons OF northern
birth to be exposed to the fierce rays of
the sun. The nights have been far from
cool-being favorable to the nocturnal
attack of fieas and mosquitoes. all of
which combined has not been conducive
to that repose Of mind and body so need
full where the duties assumed partakes
of the nature of severe and exhausting
toll. Our opportunities for sightseeing
have been confined to the mornings and
the evenings after 4 O'Clock. The inter
mediate time we have laid by' and sought
in vain TO keep cool.
Our first trip outside Of the city was to
the tombs of the judges and kings. The
former lies distant from the walls Of the
city about mile and half in northerly
course, and the latter about half that dis
lance. The path leading to them re-
minds me Of the words of warning on a
finger board in Virginia: This road is
not passable; not even jackassable;;' but
by stress Of holding on hard to the saddle
OF the donkey we accomplished the feat
and We're amply repaid. These tOnl6s
are followed out OF the solid rock. You
are admitted by STOPPING little, into
room about sixteen feet square. In two
of the corners are chOked-up stair-wayS,
and on three sides are excavations, each
OF them large enough to admit The stone
coffin, or sarcOphaguS in which the an
cient Jews o. distinction We're buried.
The tomb of the kings is on a grander
scale, the rubbish only having been re-
moved Of late years to permit a thorough
investigation. You first enter a gate and
then descend d number of broad stone
steps. These lead to a water cavern or
ci8tern, but turning to the left you enter
a spacious court yard cut in the solid
rock. On one side is a portal with an
ancient Jewish inscription and remains
/ of pillars strewn around. At the en-
! trance to the tomb is a large circular
stone bearing some resemblance to a
rough hewn grindstone. This could be
rolled back and forth in a groove, effec-
| tually opening or closing the entrance
when desired And they said among
/ themselves, who shall roll us away the
stone from the door of the sepulchre?
| Our guide rolled away the stone for US,
| and lighting candles we passed from one
chamber into another, each of which
contained either shelves or recesSes for
] ! TN, Of
! the French discovered an elegant sarcOph-
agus which is on exhibition at the
| LenOre in Paris. There are vast num-
Der Of these tomb5 and sepulchres lying
/ adjacent to Jerusalem.
The town Of Bethlehem in which
our Savior was born is due south from
Jerusalem, a matter of four or five miles,
We took a hack as far as the tomb of
Rachel. which is on the main road to He
bron, and within half a mile Of Bethle-
hem, and there mounted donkey's FOR
SolOm0n's Pool. living about three miles
further on. Whenever donkeys OF
horses are rendered necessary in getting
about, Just take it for granted that there
is only a path. that it is q steep and stony
and progression slow. For this reason
distance is measured here by the hour
and not by the mile. The horses and
! donkey5 have but one gait and that q
slow walk.
Onour right after leaving Jerusalem
we pass through the Valley Of Hinnom
with tie hill of Evil Council on oul
right where It is said Caiphas took cOun-
eli with the Jews how he might slay
Jesus. In this valley children in the
DAYS Of wicked kings We're sacrificed &c
the god MolOch. 1t has been called
Tophet as well as Gehenna in the New
Testament. whth is mOdernly expressed
as She0l. Here we cross bridge where
8 number Of !epars are sitting, who pit
eously show their defOrmities and ash
for aims which is threwn TO them AZ long
range, then in succession we pass the
neat, trim looking village Of the Ger.
man colony and the hospital for leper5
beyond which is the plain OF Re
claim "where the Assynan came
down like the wolf on the fold as BY,
ron sings. but the boastful Senacherib re-
treated in great CONSERVATION without
drawing a bow:
For the angel of Death spread his wing,
on the blast.
And brearhed in the face Of the foe as hc
past.
In a single night zone hundred enc
four score and five Thousand" OF thai
grand army of invasion stricken witt
the plague melted like snow in tbs
glance OF the Lord The tomb OF
Rachel is a white stone building with &
dome after the usual style much il
vogue by the Moslcms. and contains ;
sarcoplag,js said to be quite modern
And Rachel died and was buried in tn,
way 10 Ephrath, which is Bethlehem
And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave
that is the pillar of Rachels grave untt
this day Notwithstanding that tradi
ton locates the spot here, and that Mos
larnS. Jews and Christians all revere il a
genuine. some commentators with goot
reasons locate it in an entirely diTTaren
direction.
As related above we mount the don
KEYS here for the pools of solomon
which consist Of three large reservoirs
partly hewn out Of the rock and piecet
cut with masonry. The pools are not OF
the same level. but are so constructed
that the second and third successively
flows INTO the first. being fed by at leas
four springs which burst from the bill
side in copi0us streams. not. however
In quantities sufficient 10 keep even on,
Of these immense reservoirs full at TIN
time Of year. but when the rainy season
sets IN the volume of water from The
springs Is much increased. Leading from
the pools all the way to Jerusalem is
conduit Of mason work that follows n,
undulaaonS OF the surface. showing thai
whoever constructed this remarkable
water main understood the principle o.
forcing wafer when confined in nine;
from a depression TO an elevation. a
intervals square vents. large enough L
receive an ordinary pail had been cut